Dispensing machine



Oct. 15, McNAlR DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ii; zziziia z'azen INVENT R.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims;

sity of the operator's person coming into contact with the cooling fluid in any manner.

10 Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing machine electrically or manually operated having a battery of units in one housing, each unit containing a specific brand of merchandise thus facilitating the dispensing of said 15 merchandise.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing machine capable of handling merchandise contained both in bottles and cans.

A further object of the invention is to provide 20 a dispensing machine which is arranged to be actuated either by coin operated mechanism or manually.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and 25 by reference to the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a dispensing machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

30 Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the wheel in section.

Figure 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of one end of the device.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view 35 taken on the line 4-4 of Figure -1.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of one of the actuating members in a closed position, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the member in its other position.

40 In the drawings the numeral l designates an insulated rectangular housing having a suitable top H. An opening I2 is formed in one end l3 of the housing, this end shall be referred to as the front end hereafter.

45 A trap door l4 closes the opening l2 and may be opened only by a pressure from within said housing.

A receiving tray I is disposed immediately be low the opening l2 whereby the article dispensed 50 may be retained therein and cannot be retrieved therefrom until such time as the door l4 again closes (Fig. 2).

A wheel l6 having flanges I and I8 forming the sides thereof, is mounted on a shaft I9 and 55 positioned centrallyin a vertical plane and forwardly in a horizontal plane within the housing Ill.

Relatively angular walls 20 extend transversely between the side flanges l1 and 3 thereby forming a plurality of separate compartments A. 5 Each compartment has a door 2| hinged thereto at the outer ends of each wall, the free ends 22 of said doors extending slightly beyond the outer periphery of the flanges l1 and |8. Thus a connecting link 23 may have one end fastened to one side of the free end 22 of the door 2| (Figs.

5 and 6).

The other end of the link is pivctally secured to an actuating member 24, said member bein pivoted to the outer side of the flange l8. A lug 25 forms a stop for the member 2Q in its closed position, 'while a projecting portion 25 of the member 23 is arranged to be engaged by a member 21 having an angularly disposed face 28. As the wheel I6 is rotated in a clockwise direction, 20 the projection 26 will strike the face 28. Due to the angular disposition of the face 28 a forward and downward movement of the member 24 is caused.

The result of this movement may be clearly as seen in Figure 6. In the position shown in Figure 6 the door 2| is in its open or releasing position, whereby an object may be dispensed therefrom as will be hereinafter explained.

It is to be noted that members 24 and 23 en- 30 gage each of the doors 2| and on both sides thereof.

Lugs 30 extend outwardly of the flange l8 providing means whereby a driving mechanism 3| may transmit motion to the wheel |6.

In Figure 1 the driving mechanism is shown as being actuated by an electrically controlled, coin-operated device 32. It is to be noted that a manually operated mechanism being coin controlled or otherwise (not shown) may be substituted for the mechanism 32, thus the device may be used merely as a cooler and a dispensing aid.

In operation, for purposes of illustration, two

or more cylindrical objects, representing a bottled beverage, are inserted into each compartment. By observing Figure 2 it may be seen that there are sixteen compartments shown, and each compartment is capable of accommodating three cylindrical bottles B.

In the compartment numbered 35 it may be seen that all the bottles are forced by gravity to the bottom of the compartment, resting upon a transverse rod D, which rod serves as a bottom for the compartment.

In circling the wheel in a clockwise direction. it will be seen that the bottles are in a varied position to each other, due to the change of the angles of the walls and the action of gravity upon the bottles. By observing the compartment 0 it will be seen that the bottles are retained within the compartment by the door 2| of that compartment.

Continuing in a clockwise direction it will be seen that a definite shifting of the articles 3 has occurred in the compartment 50. Due to the angles of the wall 20 one article has remained in intimate contact with the door 2|, while the remaining articles have shifted to be dependent upon the transverse rod D.

Thus in the compartment 5| immediately adjacent the compartment 50, it may be seen that the door 2! has been released by the members 24 and 21 as has been explained. The weight of the object will, through gravity, cause said object to open the door ll of the opening l2, thereby allowing the object B to rest within the receiving tray IS.

A transverse rod 46 is provided whereby a positive closing action is given the doors 2|.

For cooling the articles B, water is provided. A level is automatically maintained at a point immediately below the bottom edge of the opening i2. Ice may be provided to cool said water, and a screen-wire 55 is provided between the back wall of the housing to and the wheel Hi. This partition forms a chamber 56 in which the ice is kept, thus preventing said ice from interfering with the rotation of the wheel l6. It is to be noted that an electric cooling unit may be substituted for commercial wet or dry ice.

It is to be noted that the article to be dispensed remains in the cooling fluid until such time as it is dispensed. Also the articles contained within the compartments above the water level are cooled to some degree by a heat-exchange between the metal flanges l1 and i8 of the wheel l6 and the articles B.

It is to be noted that an automatic water level control is provided to cover the addition of articles to the container or loss of space through dispensing. Also the rods D provide a means of drainage from the compartments within the wheel whereby the articles dispensed are comparatively dry. Further the dumping mechanism 21 is so constructed as to be manually movable to prevent the dumping operation during the process of loading the machine.

Attention is called to the fact that a plurality of wheels, individually operated, each wheel con-.

taining specific brands of merchandise therein, may be mounted in one housing.

From the foregoing it may be seen that a de-- vice for cooling and dispensing not only bottles, but any suitable cylindrical object, may be had. It may be seen that any suitable means for rotating the wheel I8 to accomplish the dispensing operation may be employed.

Maniiestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vending machine, a housing, a rotary dispensing element in said housing comprising a multiplicity of radially disposed compartments adapted to contain a plurality of packages and defined by partitions for supporting a predetermined number of said packages and bent intermediate their ends to separate a single one of said packages from the others supported thereby when said dispensing element assumes a predetermined position, means operated at said predetermined position of said element to release said separated package from its compartment, means for receiving said package and means for closing said releasing means upon further movement of said dispensing element.

2. In a dispensing machine, a rotary dispensing element comprising a series of compartments for containing a predetermined number of articles separated by partitions bent intermediate their ends, said compartments being substantially closed at their ends by circular flanges secured to the ends of said partitions, means for holding said articles against release from said compartments preparatory to the release of a single article separated by said bend in said partitions from the companion article in their compartment, means actuating said holding means when said dispensing element assumes a predetermined position and means adapted to receive the dispensed article.

3. In an article dispensing machine, a rotary dispensing element having a series of radial partitions defining compartments, said partitions being bent intermediate their ends to separate one article from the companion articles in each compartment for delivery when said dispensing element attains a predetermined position, means for retaining the articles in their respective compartments preparatory to individual release, means for actuating said latter means and means for receiving the individually released articles.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 3 in which the article retaining means is returned to normal position upon further movement of the rotary dispensing element.

. LLOYD L. MoNAIR. 

